What do you do when you marry a girl who is a passionate eco fashionista? Who gets you a second hand shirt as a very first present and believes she has treated you? Who convinces you that it's better to buy tomatoes that are three times as expensive simply because they are organic? Who destroys all your boyhood dreams about cars by stating that public transport will do? Who brainwashes her friends in such a way that they come to see your newborn son bringing carefully purchased baby clothes apologizingly saying 'organic cotton, you know…'.

In order to minimize our increasing amount of (diaper) waste, I had the crazy idea to start composting. The idea in itself might not be so crazy, but we live in a small apartment without access to a garden and I had no clue where to bring our veggie and fruit trash. But I decided to start saving it anyways. First in a simple bucket with a tray covering it. Then in a small box with matching lid. Then I discovered compostable plastic bags that fitted in the box. And before I knew it, I had collected five full bags of organic waste that all ended up in the basement waiting to be given back to nature. Finally the day came that the lady from the municipality who could tell me where to bring my compost, got back from her holiday. On Monday she told me that our block is eligible for a new composting station. On Tuesday she dropped by to see if the city can realize one around the corner from our building. I was pleasantly surprised and already started dreaming about the organic vegetable garden I could start right next to it. 'Be patient' she said and showed me the nearest station which is a ten minute walk.

That night, me and M.A. carried the five leaking, stinking bags of decaying veggie and fruit rests to their final destination. The bags themselves were not allowed in there, so we had to empty them from their overwhelming content. As we got rid of the first batch, flies arose and I pulled back, almost vomiting. But M.A. persisted: as instructed by the composting lady, he shuffled this new trash through the old trash and added dry wood snippers as to 'give it air'. Worms and bugs celebrated while he dug the spade in the pile and made it breathe. Then he closed the box, picked up the plastic bags and dumped them in a bin. We both smelled like we had taken a swim in the sewage system, but my Captain Compost grinned at me. After all, he knows he is married to an eco fashionista.

Hopefully in the next few weeks / months / years we'll see a major shift towards more sustainable and ethical methods of production and consumption. I salute you for the commitment - even without a garden!